Vehicles use a damping device, such as a shock absorber or strut, at each corner of the vehicle. The damping devices dampen relative movement, i.e., jounce, between a wheel of the vehicle and a body of the vehicle. Typically, the damping device includes a housing that is attached to the body of the vehicle at an upper attachment end, and a rod that is attached to the wheel of the vehicle at a lower attachment end. The rod includes a piston disposed within the housing that interacts with a fluid, e.g., oil. The rod and piston are moveable along a longitudinal axis relative to the housing. Movement of the wheel relative to the body causes the rod and the piston to move within the fluid. The interaction between the piston and the fluid absorbs energy, thereby slowing or damping the relative movement therebetween.
Because the rod moves relative to the housing, the length of the damping device between the upper attachment end and the lower adjustment end varies with relative movement between the wheel and the body. However, the position of the upper attachment end and the housing typically remains constant.